Business Development Training Programs

In today’s landscape, professional services firms face a strong head wind when it comes to winning new business. The growing competitive market overshadows the old school thinking of “do good work and more will follow.” Although that is true to a certain extent, firms need to be more proactive in developing and strengthening long term business relationships if they want to stay ahead of the competition. Through business development training, client-facing professionals can learn the important elements of building successful business relationships at a strategic and tactical level.

My training programs are designed to teach professionals how to align their mindset, decrease their fears, and improve their techniques relating to business development. The training programs include:

Lunch ‘n Learn Presentations

Half-day Business Development Workshops

Full-day Business Development Workshops

These training programs are customizable and repeatable. They address how to build meaningful business relationships through leveraging one’s unique personality and mastering a process-based on proven strategies and techniques. Importantly, these programs will accelerate a professional’s ability and confidence to conduct successful business development in an effective and sustainable manner.

Workshops and Presentations:

Train the TrainerOne of the most important resources at a firm is its internal business development team. Whether the individuals on this team are client-facing or providing internal business development support, ensuring that these individuals are maximizing their efforts and delivering results through proper training is so important for the growth of the firm. This program is customized to address advanced business development techniques such as mentoring and coaching their practicing professionals, expanding revenue at existing clients, key elements for an effective client meeting, and sharing best practices within the BD team.

The Art and Science of Business Development for Practicing ProfessionalsArt = the three most important elements of business development - Awareness, Rapport, and Trust. Science = the focus, methodology, tools, and tactics to build enough meaningful relationships to support a solid foundation of business. This presentation is rich in content, yet at a high enough level to cover all the most important aspects of business development. It is tailored for professionals who are learning the basics of business development. It is ideal for any sized group and can be presented as a live Lunch ‘n Learn presentation and/or over a webinar.

Pipeline Management - The Key to Revenue GenerationAll successful practitioners have a network of contacts. This network can create a pipeline of opportunities that require care, communication, tracking, and management. This presentation will cover how to build and nurture your pipeline to ensure efficient management of clients, prospects, referrals and personal relationships with the goal to build a growing book of business. Attendees of this program will learn:

the key stages of pipeline management

how and where to seek contacts

a simple contact tracking system

currently available technology tools to assist you to connect with contacts in your pipeline

​Building a Plan that Works for YouTrying to reach specific business goals without a strategic plan is like hiking in the wilderness without a compass and a map. You might find yourself on a certain path but it may not lead you to the desired destination. So many professionals and firms do a good job of setting goals, but overlook one of the most important first steps – building a solid plan that will help them reach their goals in the most effective and authentic way possible.

Working with individuals and groups is what I do – not only to hone in on their goals, but also to build a map that leads the way. We focus on identifying “trail markers” such as a specific practice niche, unique differentiators, key target clients and contacts, personal branding, “time-wasters”, messaging, and executable action items. Ultimately, together we create a plan that is practical and executable.

Building this plan can be executed in either a half-day or full-day workshop depending on variables such as individual versus group, group size, and specific objectives that need to be addressed. ​

Networking with ConfidenceNetworking can be a painful necessity when it comes to meeting new people and branding your name. Some people love it, many people loathe it, and most people avoid it. For those who hate it, this might be an opportunity to overcome some of your fears and apprehensions of getting out of your office and meeting people. It is all about preparation, being yourself, being vulnerable, and understanding some of the basics of networking. In this presentation/workshop, we address:

how to prepare for an event

how to “work” a room and not get stuck

icebreaking techniques

how to remember names

proper follow up

This presentation is recommended to be at least 90 minutes and could be as long as 2-3 hours depending on the amount of group exercises that are included.

The Art of Listening – Listen First, Share Later​One of the most effective ways to build rapport and trust in any relationship is to learn as much about the other person before giving in to the natural urge to share everything about you. I am sure most of you can recall conversations where the other person dominates the floor without caring about what you have to say. “Check please!” Learn the most important elements of active listening and following the golden 80/20 rule – 80% listening / 20% talking. You will also learn: